The Fairytale ChrØnicles
by Art Anthony
Summary: Long ago in a land since forgotten, lurked evil too dangerous to mention, the tales of bravery of Alice and her warrior friends, would be born to become fables of legend.
1. Prelude to Madness

**PRELUDE TO MADNESS**

Alice was contempt.

She lived in a huge house at least four to five floors high and filled with more rooms than you could count using your fingers and toes. Acres and acres of greenery surrounded the outside of the house, where its occupants could freely roam about and experience all that nature had to offer.

The house itself was grande in its design, and boasted a very victorian-based demeanour, with its high floor-to-ceiling walls and intricately designed flourishes of detail engraved in the large mahogany-framed windows that bathed the many hallways in brisk hues of sunlight.

Alice's bedroom was fairly sparse in appearance by comparison, and in it she slept on a small single bed that was tucked away neatly in the corner. The walls were plastered with a special, and I dare say quite expensive, insulated material that would be sure to keep her warm in the chilling winters that were to come.

Although part of a very large and ever growing family, Alice still managed to live in isolation, rarely mixing with anyone else, always keeping herself to herself.

That said, every afternoon, one of the few people whom I guess you could call 'her friend' would drop by to have a quick chat and ensure she was okay.

He was an elderly bespectacled man, who had a deep look of sincerity embedded permanently within his face, which he always used to great effect during the many discussions he would have in the house. Almost like that 'cool grandfather' you could go to with any problem at any time for help or advice.

One particular afternoon, he stopped by Alice's room to see how she was. She was sitting on the edge of her bed pondering life and all the challenges it had presented her, when he entered.

"Good afternoon, Alice!" he greeted her.

"Good afternoon, Dr Seuss." she replied.

Oh, did I forget to mention? Alice lived in a psychiatric hospital for the mentally disturbed, on 42nd Street.

"And how are we today?" he continued.

"Oh, just peachy, doctor! I feel elated at the thought of spending yet another day locked up in this wonderful place!"

"Now, now," he said, "That wasn't called for. You know why you are here."

"Another pet for you to play with, Dr?" she surmised.

The Dr sighed a heavy sigh, removed his horn-rimmed glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then, having cleaned the lenses briefly with his handkerchief, placed them back on his face and continued.

"You're here because you are a danger to yourself and to others, Alice. Because of what happened in Baltimore. Do you remember what happened in Baltimore?"

"I'm not the danger Doc, 'they' are!"

"'They'? I see, you're still holding on to that 'fantasy' of yours? It was precisely that that caused you to end up here in the first place, you do know that?"

"There coming, Doc. Either way you want to look at it, they are coming! All you're doing is wasting valuable time none of us have!"

"This isn't 'The Terminator' Alice and your not 'Sarah Connor'! If you persist with this absurdity... well... I simply will not be able to help you."

"You want to help me, Doctor, take this straight jacket off! Theres an itch on my back I'm desperate to scratch."

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't do that." said the doctor.

"Well then, I'm sorry too." she said.

'For what?" he asked.

"For this."

He never saw it coming, the head-butt, but he sure felt it after it left. Knocking him backwards, catching him completely by surprise. And why not? Up until a few seconds ago, even Alice didn't know she was going to do it.

'Now for the hard part' she thought to herself, using her feet to unclip the keycard from the unconscious Dr's belt. She then grips it in her teeth and uses it to open the door.

Having escaped the room, she immediately heads towards the nearest fire escape door, swiped the keycard with her mouth and headed towards the roof of the building, where she looked for something sharp to tear herself free from her cotton restraints.

Just then, an orderly along with two security guards, burst through the entrance to the roof.

"Oh look," remarks Alice, rather nervously. "It's Prince Valium and the boys!" before turning tail and running, her three persuers close behind. Eventually they arrive at the edge of the building.

"Nowhere else to go, Alice." says the orderly, slowly walking towards her, "Don't do anything else stupid." The guards hands poised above their holstered taser pistols.

Alice looks over the edge, contemplating the chances of surviving the drop. 'It's four floors' she tells herself. 'If I don't make it, at least I wont have to worry about being locked up again.'

Just then, one of the security guards, seizing the opportunity, takes a clean shot. It connected and she convulsed violently, but losing her footing and she tumbled over the edge.

The orderly screamed out after her, but it was too late, she had gone.

Down, down, down, she fell, for what seemed a very long time.

until...

Splash!' she landed in a tub full of water. A bath tub full of water?

Gasping for air, she lifts her head above the surface and spits out a mouthful of the soapy liquid and looks around. 'Alice, I've a feeling you're not in the institution anymore.' she thought to herself before getting out of the tub and finally finding something sharp in the room to free herself from the straight jacket.

The room couldn't be more different to the one she had been confined to for the last year or so. This one was a lot more... older. Candle-lit lamps hung from the ceiling, an old dusty rug sat in the centre of the wooden floor and on it sat the bathtub itself that broke her fall, made from layers of slated Oakwood.

Deciding to leave the room, she makes her way out of the house.

Then she saw it. Outside on the cobbled streets, a mass devastation of ravaged bodies. Men, women, livestock... something had done this. More than man. More than an animal.

But something was missing.

'The children.' she thought to herself. 'Where are all the children?'

"Who are you?" called a voice behind her. Young, female.

She turned to see a girl, no older than 18, wearing a red hooded cloak and holding a basket.

"Alice!" said the girl, "Is it really you?"

"Sorry I'm late." replied Alice.

To be continued...


	2. The Long-tailed Army

**The Long-tailed Army**

Elsewhere, in the small town of Hamlin, a great panic griped the hearts of its inhabitants, causing them to flee from their homes in blind panic. The reason for this sudden frenzied outburst?

"RATS! Bleeding rats! There's **hundreds** of em!"

Ah yes, as fate would have it the village had been ravaged by a large infestation of 'Rattus norvegicus', commonly known as 'rats'.

Literally thousands of them poured into every home from every crack in every wall in every room. They were under the beds, on top of the beds, in the beds. They were in cupboards, draws, wardrobes, shoes, bags, bath tubs. No place was safe. Even safes were not safe. They were everywhere!

As the villagers ran and gathered in the town square, ousted from their homes by the rodent army, Mayor Spinless III took to his open court chair to officially address them, his loyal chief advisor by his side.

"As your trusted mayor and leader," he began, "I vow to you all that I will use every means at my disposal to rid this peaceful town of this... **vermin! **Sure it maytake a while for my guards to enter and cleanse every home, probably the better part of a month or two to be honest, but rest assured they will not stop until-"

The crowd's response of shouts and jeers, unconvinced by what they hear, drown out the remainder of the mayors speech, which is doing little to nothing to quell their fears.

"And what do we eat in the meantime?" screamed a wife and mother of two. "They be all over my kitchen! Even found one of the little buggers swimming around in a pot of my homemade chicken soup!"

"Ah, ye needn't worry about that one, dear. He be dead soon enough...!" quiped her portly husband beside her.

"Then he just might be 'aving some company, aye George?" she retorted with great scorn, acompanied by a swift elbow to his ribs.

"It be the end's of the world, I tell ya, for sure!" shouted an elder from the back of the crowd, his voice a thundering wind, bellowing and loud.

"Tis true!" agreed his friend. "I heard stories o' this happening to another village, four winds east of Wonderland. Strange things did happen afoot."

"Aye," continued the first friend, "Some even tell tales of that town's children going-"

"Enough with these solemn tales of 'worlds ending' and... well... whatever you in the back there was about to say." interupted the mayor. "The one important factor you all seem to be forgeting, is as your newly appointed mayor I have vowed to watch over you all. And as I have said, you can **rest assured** I will not... err... rest, until I am... well... assured that my-your homes have each been culled of this 'unhygienic' evil!"

The crowd cheer in response, finally convinced by their mayor's display of overwhelming conviction. The mayor, now seeing he has finally won them over, turns slyly to his chief advisor and whispers,

"Smuggleworth, have my belongings packed, my wife and son dressed and my carriage readied, immediately! We'll take the back road out of here, so no-one will see us leave."

"Yes m'lord, right away sir!"

But before the loyal lackey can slither away to do his master's sly bidding, he notices a strange looking man, standing there calm and still amidst the animated crowd.

"Pardon me, m'lord, but who be that strange man? Haven't seen him before?" His spindly fingers jabbing the air in the direction of the stranger, who by this time has come to the attention of the rest of the villagers, who themselves look on at him, pointing and whispering.

The stranger's clothing is peculiarly patterned, made with bright red and gold coloured striped linen clad to his tall wiry frame like a second skin. His large angular hat obscuring the view of his face, casting a permanent shadow on everything above his jawline, shrouding his identity in complete mystery.

"You there, who are you?" asked the mayor.

"Ah, yes! Good day, kind mayor, people of Hamlin." greeted the stranger, formally. "I was merely passing by your wonderful town and couldn't help but overhear the kerfuffle that was afoot here!"

The crowd go ominously silent, scratching their heads whilst exchanging canvas-blank expressions with one another matched only by the equally clueless mayor and his advisor.

"Kerfuffle?" re-iterated the stranger, "Brouhaha, fracas, fiasco, disturbance, commotion...?"

The crowd finally respond, nodding to one-another in agreement, having finally understood the strangers rather apt description of their woes. The stranger, in kind, simply rolled his eyes in return.

"Anyway," he continued, "I believe I may well be of some assistance to you all. You see, I am somewhat something of an expert in the area of 'pest control' and can guarantee, for a price, an immediate end to this nightmarish predicament you all have found yourselves in!"

"Really? And exactly **what** kind of price are we are talking about, here?" asked the increasingly sceptic mayor.

The stranger silently held up a small piece of paper before releasing it, as a sudden gust of wind inexplicably carries it over to were the mayor sits to settle gently in his lap.

The mayor picks it up apprehensively, unfolds it and begins scrutinising its written contents with considerable time and care. After a moment or two of deep thought and internal deliberation, he finally reached a decision as the crowd eagerly looked on.

"Deal!" he announced excitedly, leaping to his feet. "When can you start?"

"Right away!" enthused the stranger, as the same gust of wind suddenly returns, snatching the piece of paper up and out of the mayor's grip before carrying it up and away into the clear blue sky, until it can no longer be seen.

By the time everyone's eyes had returned to their enigmatic visitor, he was holding what appeared to be a very long and very shiny steel flute. It's polished surface glimmered in the sun's light with unabashed favour.

The Piper smiled to himself as silence once more settled on the town of Hamlin. All eyes watched attentively as he slowly raised the instrument towards his lips, inhaled deeply, and started to play.

The melody was strange and fleeting and the mood it invoked, one of vibrant rampant playfulness.

As the piper's fingers increasingly moved with electric speed, almost a blur to the human eye, he slowly turned and made his way out of the village, playing as he walked. All the villagers could do was look on and watch in complete befuddlement.

"Well, look at it this way, m'lord," offered the chief advisor. "At least he didn't ask you for a downpayment."

Suddenly, without warning, a large rat scurried out of a nearby home causing a handful of villagers standing nearby to shriek in terror, only for the rat to abruptly turn and scarper off in the pipers direction.

A second later and another followed suit.

Then another. And another. Until the streets were literally black with the sight of thousands upon thousands of rats, marching along in perfect harmony to the melody The Piper's pipe was playing.

Before long, not a single rat remained in a single home. The streets were bare once more and the piper and his music could no longer be seen or heard.

"Well now **that** you don't see every day!" noted the Mayor's advisor.

"Gretel, tell me you saw that?" asked Hansel, one of the village children.

"Saw it? Yes. Believed it? Working on it." replied his sister.

When the realisation of what had happened finally dawned on the villagers, they screamed out in unison, "THEY'RE GONE! THEY'RE GONE! THE RATS HAVE GONE" Before running back to their respective homes, singing and dancing as they went. Leaving the mayor and his advisor to just stand there, contemplating what had happened.

"Most peculiar." said the mayor. "Cancel that last order, Smuggleworth. Looks like we'll be hanging around this town a little while longer."

"Of course, m'lord. But might I ask, what payment did the unusually odd fellow request of you before he left?"

The mayor turned to him and raised a wrinkled eyebrow. "What indeed." he replied crypticly, "What... indeed."

To be continued...


	3. Very Bad Deeds

**Very Bad Deeds**

Early morning in the town of Hamlin. Two friends, Jack and Hansel are making their way back from a local market on the other side of The Wandering Forest, where Jack had taken his mother's cow to be sold for money.

The cow provided the only source of income for Jack and his widowed mother, who ran Hamlin's main Milk & Butter store, providing all things dairy-based for a very competitive price. But ceased to be of any use when it stopped producing milk.

Whilst en route, traveling through The Wandering Forest they met a strange old man who presented Jack with a different proposition, offering him a uniquely alternative trade.

"So, what you thinking your mum's going to say when she catches sight of what you've brought back?" asked Hansel.

"Well," replied Jack, "she'll be either over the moon... or kick me so hard, I'll end up over it!"

"I thinks as long as you tell her the plan, she'll get the bigger picture and all will be well. You do... remember it... don't you, Jack?"

"O'course! We sold Daisy to a 'Bean Specialist' who traded her for 5 special beans. We'll plant them five special beans into the ground, a few days later 5 giant bean tree's have grow out of it. We then sell all the new beans at a rate of 3 coins to a bean, and retire as kings before we turn 13!"

"Perfect!" replied a satisfied Hansel.

"One more thing... Tag, you're it!" teased Jack, slapping his friend on the back, before running off along the cobbled pavements and ducking into a nearby alley. The town kids called this game The Fox & The Hound, and Jack and Hansel were two of the best at it.

"Darn it, Jack. I wasn't ready!" screamed a frustrated Hansel, taking off after him like a malnourished wolf with a fevered scent for blood.

The two young boys darted about between the busy streets, ducking under, over and through the many townsfolk going about their daily lives, embracing normality once again with open arms and nowt a rodent in sight.

Hansel is the faster of the two, making short work of the gap between him and his fleet-footed friend. Just as his fingers were almost within reach of Jack's tunic, Jack made a sharp left turn and scurried into another alleyway, only to collide head-on into something. He's head throbbing, Jack recoiled backwards, hitting the ground with his behind with an uncomfortable thud.

Only then did he realise it was not something, but in fact some-one**. **

"My pardon, sir" apologised the youngling, as he gazed up at the tall gaunt figure cast in silhouette by the distant rising sun.

"Ah, to be young again, with bountiful energy to spare!" quoted the jovial stranger. "On yer feet, lad." His surprisingly strong arm hoisted the young man up onto his feet with little effort, and revealed his identity in the process.

"You're... him... The Piper Man!" exclaimed Jack, excitedly.

"Indeed it is, my boy, indeed it is!" replied The Piper, "Although technically you're not my boy 'per se', it's merely a figure of speech. Besides, I'd have remembered if your mother and I-"

"But... what are you doing here?" asked Jack. "Have the rats returned?"

"Strictly business, young man, strictly business! Now, can't stop, must dash, see you later!"

And with that The Piper toddled off, passing Hansel and his tad older sister Gretel, on his way.

"Morning children!" greeted the fleeting Piper.

"Was that...?" asked an awestruck Hansel.

"Yes. Now close yer mouth, or you're likely to catch flies!" replied Gretel before turning to address Jack, "You're mother is looking for you! She's hoping you fetched a fair ole price for her Daisy. Though my brother tells me you've gone one better! Which makes me a tad nervous."

"I have. And Mother will be most pleased when I show her!" announced a defiant Jack, almost fooling himself with his conviction.

"Right then, you better be off home. I look forward to hearing the good news from your mother herself." replied Gretel, waving him off.

"Yes, well... okay... I'll be gone then. Later Hans."

"Later Jacko!"

As Jack skipped off home to give his mother the good news, Gretel turned to Hansel, her eyes narrowed to the point they almost appeared closed.

"I sure hope you haven't been leading that foolhardy boy astray, Hansel?"

Hansel didn't answer. He merely placed his hands in his pockets and walked on ahead.

Meanwhile, The Piper continued to make his way through the busy streets of Hamlin towards The Mayor's extravagant home, bemused to himself how fickle-minded the townsfolk seemed, for not one of them sent even a casual glance his way. Already a forgotten face faded from memory.

Inside The Mayor's grande mansion, seated inside his grande office, behind his grande desk, sat The Mayor himself, preoccupied with signing off page after page of Damages claims sent in by the people of Hamlin in wake of the recent rat invasion.

Suddenly he's disturbed by a knock-knock-knocking on the door.

"M'lord, there's a man out here to see you." announced the voice of Smuggleworth, his ever-so-trusted advisor.

"What man?" answered The Mayor abruptly, clearly disturbed at the idea of being... well, disturbed.

Before he knew it, the double doors to the room had flown open and in had walked The Pied Piper in all his peculiar glory.

He approached the Mayor at his desk and curtseyed respectively before announcing; "Good day, kind Mayor. I have come for my payment!"

"Payment? What payment? There was no payment!" dismissed the Mayor.

"There is always payment!" countered The Piper.

"Well, you have my deepest most sincere gratitude!"

"And as welcome as that is, I really must persist in having what is owed me!"

"Persist? How dare you, I'm The Mayor!"

"But sadly not my mayor."

"A mayor is a mayor...!"

"And a deal is a deal!"

"Look, for the last time, there was-no-**deal!**."

The Piper pondered to himself for a brief moment before continuing,

"Perhaps your memory of prior events have been clouded, somewhat." suggested The Piper. "Being it happened such a long while ago...?"

"It was yesterday." replied The Mayor.

"Yes it was, wasn't it? Ah, but so much has happened in your life since! Dinner, breakfast, lunch... not to mention, paperwork! Piles and piles of it, I see before me. One could easily be forgiven for not remembering..."

"Enough of this madness! I think it's time you leave!"

The Piper stops once again, choosing his next words carefully before continuing.

"...So your saying you will no longer honour our agreement?"

"Damn it, man, if you do not leave this house immediately I will have you thrown out on your scrawny little behind, stripped down to your very bones and fed to the crows from sunrise to sunset!"

The Piper freezes, as if going over in his head every word of the lengthy and quite detailed threat issued to him mere seconds ago by The Mayor.

"So, that be a 'No' then?" he concludes. "Excellent, excellent! My apologies for disturbing! Good day to you, kind Mayor!"

And with that he slowly backed out of the room, closing the doors behind him, never to be seen again.

The Mayor sat there in silence, going over in his mind the entire bizarre conversation from start to finish. When no sense could be made of it he noted to himself; "What an odd man!" before continuing his paperwork.

"Odder than most!" came a voice, suddenly, from the window. The Mayor turned to see yet another man, thin, diminutive in height, dressed in crinkly black and purple leather garments and jet black scraggly hair, perched on the window's ledge like some overgrown crow.

"What is this, carnival day? Just who are you supposed to be, and what the blazes are you doing there?" asked The Mayor.

"Ah, well my friends call me Rumpel, but you can call me... well, Rumpel. I guess. But that would make you and I friends. Which clearly we are not. So probably best you didn't call me at all"

"Right. Of course." the Mayor pondered to himself, before shouting;

"Guards!"

"Ah yes, the guards," noted Rumpel. "After all, my work here is done - So I really must be going, as much as its been fun! I bared witness to the breach of the contract you signed - Though not with a pen, but a crooked heart and mind."

"**GUARDS**!" screamed The Mayor.

"For the law of the land, shall forever ring true. Pay what is due, or a forfeit shall ensue! Cant think of anything else to say that would rhyme - So instead i'll just bid you farewell for this time!"

"**GUARDS**!"

And with that the peculiar little man disappears backwards off of the ledge, just as The Mayor's men storm the room and shower the ledge with a hail of arrows and spears.

"Sweep the area." he instructs them. "Any other odd-ball intruders, kill them without hesitation."

Night falls on the town of Hamlin, like a blanket covering the day and tucking it in as it drifts off into a deep sleep and silence rules the streets once more.

All but for the sound of crying.

A boy named Jack alone in his room. Sent by his widowed mother to bring money back from a market, believing himself to have brought back unbound riches, in reality bringing back neither.

Or so he thought.

To be continued...


	4. The Deafening Silence

**The Deafening Silence**

It was the next morning, and all was quite in the once again peaceful town of Hamlin.

Perhaps, too quite.

The Mayor, asleep in his office, sat sprawled over his desk. A stream of saliva ran from his perked mouth all the way to a pile of paperwork on the edge of the table, causing the ink to bleed out over the remainder of the desk, like a wounded animal in hunting season.

He stirred once, then twice, then forced his eyes open to look around.

'Something is wrong' he thought to himself. But he couldn't figure what.

After a moment or two it finally dawned on him; The silence. It was deafening. And it was at _that_ point that he noticed the dark shadowy figure standing at the open doorway to the office, mumbling to itself.

It was Mrs Spinless, his wife. And the words she mumbled? "He's gone. He's gone. He's gone."

"Who's gone?" asked The Mayor, groggily rising to his feet and approaching her with apprehension. "Who do you speak of?"

"My son." she whispered to him, her words like an icy cold breeze intruding on a summers day. "**Our** **son**!"

The Mayor rushed to the little boy's room but found nothing but an empty bed. "No." he whispered to himself. "It cannot be."

Suddenly the town was filled with the chilling sound of wails and screams, as parents, one by one, made the same discovery. For every single child was gone. Vanished, without so much as a trace.

Into the streets they ran, flailing their arms in the air and screaming; "My child!", "My daughter!", "My children!". Even the Mayor himself joined them. High and low they searched and searched but no child could be found.

"Jack... my dear boy." weeped a poor weary widow and mother, distraught not only at the thought of never seeing her son again, but knowing she spent their last precious moments arguing over a handful of silly beans. How trivial it all now seemed.

"Wherever can they be?" screamed another villager, her eyes wide with terror.

"It... it was the Piper, he did it!" mumbled another, "Saw him return yesterday, I did."

"Aye, heard his sweet soothing music as I slept." said another, "Thought it'd be a dream! But why... why would he do it?"

"The Mayor! I heard he never paid the man what he _owed_ him!"

"Then the Mayor is to blame! Kill the mayor!"

"There he is! There's the... 'Cretin'!"

At that point the mayor froze, rooted to the ground with fear, as a hundred or so vengeful eyes suddenly turned their gaze towards him.

"What? Now w-wait... hold on... there _was_ **no** payment!" he pleaded, "I would have paid the man if there was, but there wasn't! I promise you..! I'm the Mayor! I'm **your** mayor!"

"Been promising many a thing over many a year, now." replied a villager, "None of which seen the light of day! But for this, you most certainly _will_ pay... and with your life, that **I** promise **you**!"

"Get... him!" they screamed. The mob of villagers suddenly gave chase, fuelled with an un-quenchable thirst for revenge, as The Mayor turned and fled for his life. Not a soul offered him assistance, neither guard, nor advisor, nor wife.

Eventually he reached his home and barricaded himself inside, locking every door before racing upstairs to retreat within his office, often his sole place of solitude.

And there he sat alone, weeping.

Time passed. And passed. But the jeers and cries from the angry mob outside did not.

Suddenly, without warning, a log crashed through his office window, causing shards of glass to rain down upon the floor and the Mayor to run and seek refuge beneath his desk.

"This is it!" he thought to himself. "The end of me has finally come!"

As he sat there, knees tucked tightly beneath his chin, he listened. Attentively. That's when he heared it. The sound of 'huffing' and 'puffing' drawing ever near. He looked over to the window and noticed that the log, which was now braced firmly against it, was wrapped with golden hair.

'How odd.' he thought to himself, as the sound drew nearer and nearer, 'huffing' and 'puffing', 'huffing' and 'puffing'. Nearer and nearer to the window it came.

The Mayor closed his eyes tightly. His lips quivered and his hands shook as he sat there, and waited.

To be continued...


	5. Little Red Riding

**Little Red Riding**

"Saved me a lot of trouble, if he'd just left the front door open!" grumbled a young female voice. It came from outside the window.

He looked up and saw... a girl, perching on its ledge. She was young, with thick black hair, was average in height and dressed in a scarlet red hooded cloak that partially covered her face and body.

"Err... hello?" she greeted him, rather awkwardly. "I'm looking for The Mayor of this town?"

"Then you're a little too late, young one." he mumbled. "Not... much left of him... if I am to be honest."

"Ah 'late', yes." replied the girl. "Sorry, my friends and I ran into a little 'troll trouble' whilst crossing Billy Goat's Bridge, en route to getting here."

"Troll... trouble?" repeated the Mayor, with scepticism. For such things were so rare, most considered them myths.

"Well, I say 'little' troll trouble, but the truth is the brute was substantially large." continued the girl. "Making the ardent task of removing it's head from it's body all the more difficult!"

The Mayor paused for a moment, unsure wether his distraught mind was playing tricks on him or that the entire day was all just some twisted dream. Naturally he prefered the later.

"I'm delirious!" he cried, bursting into hysterical laughter.

"Mayor Delirious, a pleasure!" replied the girl, hoping off of the ledge and onto the glass-peppered floor. "I am Little Red of The Sister-Hood, aka; Red Hood! Perhaps you have heard of me?"

"No. Can't say I have." replied the Mayor, flatly.

"Oh." replied the girl. "Well then I'm sure you've heard of my clan; The sister-"

"Is there a particular reason your trespassing on my private property? Before I have my guards throw you out of the very window from whence you came?"

"Hmm... would that be the very same guards trying to break into this very house, to rip you into very small pieces?" the girl replied curiously.

He paused for or a moment. "Perhaps... Ok, fine. What do you want?"

"I'm looking for a man." she said.

"Sorry, happily married." he replied. "Try the tavern. You'll find plenty there. All eager to start anew, no doubt."

"Calls himself 'The Pied Piper'... perhaps he's passed this way?"

The Mayor's eyes narrowed. The veins on his forehead, pulsated to the brink of bursting. "You and me both, young lass. You and me both." he spat, venomously.

The red-hooded girl paused, then turned and leaned out of the window. "Yep, he was here all right!" she called out.

"Ask him how long ago!" shouted a voice back.

She turned back to the Mayor. "How long since, was the fiend last here?"

"What? ...a day at most." he replied. "I'm sorry, who are you again?"

She turned and leaned back out of the window. "A day!" she screamed, before turning back to the Mayor. "Mayor Delirious, sir, we don't have much time! They'll be here shortly, and when they arrive..."

"What? Who'll be here? Just what in Wonderland is going on?!" he screamed.

The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. "The Piper, he made a deal with you to rid your town of a tiny little rodent problem, yes? He gave you a small piece of paper, on it a price for his services. Tell me, what did it read?"

"What...? Nothing. It read nothing! It was blank! At first I thought I was imagining it. Then I figured he was simply crazy and just agreed to it all, just to be rid of him. Never imagined he would do it. But the paper, it had nothing written on it!"

The Mayor sunk to his knees, staring at his hands, as grief took hold of him once more.

"Trouble youself not, Mayor Delirious. You are not the first to be tricked by this most devious trickster. But pray you-"

"My name is not** Delirious!**" barked The Mayor.

"Well of course, you would say that, wouldn't you? You're delirious!"

"Hey, wanna hurry it up?" shouted the voice from outside. "This giant dog of yours is getting pretty restless. I guess 'they' must be coming! Or it's hungry. Or something..."

"Wolf!" screams the girl. "She is not a dog, she is a...! My apologies, Mayor. That's my friend, 'Alice'. She is... _not_ from around here."

"Go home little girl... and take your friends with you." mumbled the Mayor. "These times bode ill for the men of our days, let alone little girls roaming villages looking for... whatever it is you are looking for!"

"Found, actually." corrected the girl. "Yours is the eighth village we've arrived at since entering the WestLands. The only of which to still breath life. Meaning one of two things; good fortune shines on your small town like no other... or... something wicked this way soon comes."

"Wait. This... has happened before, you say?" the mayor asked.

"I mean it, Red, hurry it up!" shouted the voice outside.

"That rat infestation you suffered was **caused** by the piper." continued the girl to the Mayor. "Three melodies he will play. The first, for rats. The second, for children. And the last..."

"Too late! They're here!" screamed the now anxious voice from outside. "Now get you're 'skirt tail' down here, pronto! Grab a sandwich or something on the way too, will ya? I'm famished!"

"Sorry, got to go!" she told him, as she hoped back to the window. "Best you keep all doors and windows locked, and retreat back beneath the confinement of your desk, just in case."

And with that she disappeared out of the window.

"Wait!" the Mayor called out, "What does he want with them, the children? Can I get back my boy? And what of the other strange man who lurked at my window? Tell me!"

As he peered out of the window, after her, he's suddenly gripped with terror by what he sees, standing out on the horizon.

To be continued...


	6. It's all Ogre

**It's all Ogre!**

Once again panic griped the small town of Hamlin, as the villagers stood in fear, pointing to the horizon and whispering to one-another, speculating on what they saw. Or what they think they saw. Or what they hoped it was not.

The cause for their anxious gaze? Three abnormally large figures, lurking in the distance, watching... their appearance obscured into grotesquely silhouetted shapes by the glimmering sun, rising behind them, exuding the very definition of foreboding and dread.

In normal lands, history tells us that normal men have grown to dizzying heights exceeding that of 8 feet or more. Mere 'dwarfs' in comparison to the mammoth brutes that scour _these_ strange lands, those commonly known as...

"Ogres! I knew I smelt them." muffled Rapunzel, her nose buried deep into her sleeve, the giant white wolf beside her, echoed her disgust with a deeply repulsed growl of its own.

"The Piper must still be near!" announced a voice from the air. The two girls looked up to see their companion, Little Red, adeptly riding the winds beneath her red cape to glide gracefully to the ground like a bird of prey.

"Ahh... how was your morning tea with the Mayor?" quipped Alice, her eyes yet firmly fixed to the horizon.

"I was extracting vital information to aid our chase, Alice. Besides, 'tea parties' are more your thing." she smiled, before whispering into the white wolf's ear. Within the next instant, it's set off towards the East Forest, the opposite direction to the lurking danger, leaving Alice to scratch her head in bemusement.

"Great. Not like we could have needed the dogs help at all!" she noted, casually.

"Ok, so three very large hostiles, armed with very large spears. And the very same week we run into a troll hiding under a bridge; what are the odds?" asked Rapunzel.

She then gathered the excess of her hair, which Red had conveniantly used to climb up to the Mayor, and wrapped it loosely around her arm.

"What are they waiting for?" asked Alice, curiously.

"Intimidation." offered Red, picking up an ordinary looking basket off the floor. "Strike utter terror, then sweep in and leave no witnesses by leaving nothing alive! This 'Piper'... how fiendish can a fiend be?"

"Hmm... Very peculiar." noted Alice, almost to herself.

"What is it?" asked Red, uneased.

"I don't see a sandwich in _either_ of your hands... pretty sure I requested-"

"I was in the Mayor's office, not his kitchen!" sighed Red.

"You really serious about being hungry at a time like this?" asked Rapunzel, her nose still buried deep within her arm.

Suddenly...

"THEY'RE COMING!" screamed the villagers, pointing back towards the horizon. "RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" The trio of girls turned, almost in unison as the townsfolk fled. Even the Mayor's normally stern guards, dropped their weapons and ran.

"Guess _they_ wont be offering us any assistance." remarked Rapunzel, wryly.

Back towards the horizon, the movement of the three hulking figures approaching was heavy and clunky, awkward even. But no less menacing and intimidating.

"Monsters! They're monsters!" screamed one of the fleeing women. "First rats, then our children are stolen and now monsters are coming to destroy us! Is there no misfortune this town has not suffered?"

"Well, to be fair," replied Alice, "there **were** a number of plagues that historically ravaged entire lands back where I'm from. Not to mention the whole 'Take That breaking up' period... painful times, make no mistake..."

"Not now, Alice! All of you, lock your doors. We'll take it from here." assured Red as she, Rapunzel and Alice aided the more 'less-abled' of the villagers get quickly inside their homes.

As the three Ogres entered the town and lumbered their way towards them, the tallest of the three, quickened its pace significantly ahead of the other two, as it readied it's monstrously-sized spear.

"Zelly! Remember the battle at NeverWell Bridge?" asked Red to her golden-haired companion.

"Like it was last week!" she replied.

"That's because it _was_ last week!" groaned Red, rolling her eyes.

"Oh. Right. Well, that would explain it then."

"Anyway, follow my lead. And remember, we need one alive for questioning."

"Easier done than said!" smiled Alice, wittily, as she helped herself to an abandoned sword and spear, discarded by one of the terrified guards.

Meanwhile, Little Red as calm as can be, knelt down and reached deep inside her little ordinary-looking basket, as Alice looked on in amazement.

"What do you have for me today?" pondered Red out loud, before pulling out a large double bladed axe. "Sweet!" she smiled to herself. "Let's roll heads, people!" And with that, she darted off to meet the first Ogre head on. Rapunzel followed directly behind her and Alice a little way behind her, all in a perfect line.

Meanwhile the first Ogre, seeing the approaching trio, smiled to itself a hearty smile. "I'm gonna enjoy digesting you, pretty insect!" It roared, spear in hand. It's stench now an almost tangible fog surrounding it.

As the two meet, the behemoth drove it's spear downwards towards Red's head, but she swiftly ducked beneath it at the very last second, leaving it to impale the ground with earth-trembling force.

Little Red, meanwhile, continued her run through Ogre's huge legs, swinging her axe at them as she went.

The Ogre bellowed in pain as it sunk down to it's knees, just as Rapunzel arrived to run along the giant embedded spear, up towards the Ogre's head, releasing her unnaturally long golden hair as she flipped in the air, tangling the hapless beast in its end'less golden strands as she landed on the ground behind him, pulling down on it with all her might.

"Now!" she screamed.

The Ogre's tangled head jerked backwards, violently, as it bellowed; "What bewilderment... _is_ this?"

Just as Alice arrived to make her way up the very same spear and drive her own deep into its heart.

_'Thud' was the sound, as it's body hit the floor. One was down, still remained, two more._

To be continued...


	7. And then there were 4

**...And then there were 4**

War raged on in what was once the peaceful village of Hamlin, as our three heroins continued their plight to best the two remaining oversized monstrosities, both of which proved decidedly elusive.

The largest of the two, was wrapped in armour made from pieces of Lemongrass RhinoHide. A rare, near impenetrable skin of an even rarer animal. Extremely heavy in weight, making movement in it slow and cumbersome, even for a brute of it's size.

The other had no such shielding, but instead wielded two giant heavily spiked clubs, which it swung with such excessive force, it sent waves of dust flying in every direction.

"Hold still, over-sized rats!" barked the armoured Ogre, as Rapunzel crept behind it and swung her hair around it's neck, hoping to choke the life out of it. But it grabbed hold it and swung her like catapult, directly toward Little Red, who skilfully arched herself backwards, leaving the helpless Rapunzel to collide with the other, unsuspecting Ogre, sending the two of them crashing to the ground in a heap.

"Argh! Buffoon! Big buffoon. Careful yourself!" groaned the toppled monster.

"Red bird fast!" apologised the Armoured Ogre, as it slowly pulled Rapunzel painfully back towards it. But not before Alice leapt up to aid her by slicing her golden tress in two, just short of her head.

"Rapunzel!" shrieked Alice to her wounded friend. But her lapse in concentration would cost her, as the Ogre, deceptively quick, grabbed her arm with alarming speed, causing her to drop her sword as it hoisted her up off the ground in agony.

"Now I brake you, pretty bird." it bellowed, "You fly away no more."

Little Red swung her axe repeatedly at the brute, but its armour held fast.

But before it could tear Alice limb from limb, a large wooden pale of water crashed into the side of it's head, causing it to release her before inexplicably crying out in pain.

"Arrgh, it burns, it burns..." it cried.

The girls looked around in wonder to see... The Mayor. He'd come out from hiding, with eyes wide and vengeful, a face set like CasteMore stone. "GIVE ME BACK MY SON!" he roared, in a voice that even managed to startle the two Ogres.

Just then, an arrow swift and true, pierced the armoured Ogre's side directly between the plates where it was most vulnerable.

"Arrgh, it stings, it stings..." it cried.

Then another arrow, on it's same side, pierced it's knee. Then another in its thigh, then waist, then chest, until eventually the monster staggered helplessly to it's knees in pain.

"No fair, no fair!" it whimpered.

Alice leapt to her feet, sword in hand. And, seizing the opportunity, quickly ran up each of the embedded arrows as if they were steps until she reached the highest one, and launched herself high into the air.

"Off with you're head!" she cried, before brining her sword down with all her might.

_'Thud, thud, thud.' Rolled the Ogre's head. Two were now down, only one remained instead._

The last Ogre growled rabidly, swinging it's clubs more in panic than in anger, as our three warrior girls, along with the Mayor now armed with a spear, circled it slowly.

"Only two ways for you, this can go..." warned Little Red. "Drop your weapons and surrender. Or we shall _force_ you to drop your weapons and surrender!"

The other two girls looked at her.

"Which, I agree, sounds suspiciously like the _first_ way. Therefore I must _now_ inform you, there is but **_one_** way this can go for you! Do you surrender."

The Ogre's eye's widened, as they darted from left to right. For suddenly it saw it's four protagonist were not alone. The entire village, spurned on by the display of bravery from their one-time spineless Mayor, had come out of their homes, armed with whatever makeshift weapons they could find; pitchforks, hammers, spades, stale loaves of bread, whatever was to hand they brought.

The Ogre dropped it's heavy weapons to the floor, and bowed it's head in submission, as the people of Hamlin cheered and cheered, in celebration that their town was saved.

"Not quite as dumb as you look." remarked Alice.

"And _you_ are as _brave_ as you are _weird-looking_." shouted a hidden voice from the back of the crowd.

The crowd parted, and through it walked... a girl, not much older than Alice. She was wearing a hooded cloak, similar to that of Red, only her's was coloured a rich forest green. And she held an extremely large and starkly impressive-looking bow by her side like it was her companion and a matching-styled quiver on her back. The large white wolf followed closely behind her.

"Ah..!" sighed Alice, "The mystery bowman... woman... bow-woman... bow... girl... sorry, what do I call you?"

"Alice," interrupted Little Red "Allow me to introduce; Robin, of The Sister-Hood! Otherwise known as..."

"'Robin-Hood'?" asked Alice.

"You've heard of her?" asked Red.

"I... thought he was a man" replied Alice.

"You thought I was a man?" asked Robin.

"No, I thought Robin Hood was a man." replied Alice.

"But I am Robin Hood!" replied Robin.

"And clearly **_not_** a man!" observed Alice.

An awkward silence followed. Then..

"Shall we question the Ogre?"

"Yes, probably best!"

The three made their way over to where the defeated Ogre knelt. Rapunzel and the Mayor stood watch closely over him.

"Mayor Delirious! It was a pleasure to see you taking up arms beside us." noted Little Red, with sincere glee. "Discovered in you, the true leader that lies in us all!"

"I had nothing left to lose." admitted the Mayor. "And only my son's life to gain. If... he be... still alive?"

"Indeed." she replied. "By the way, what 'unusual' waters did you use, to garner such an extreme and volatile reaction from the beast?"

"It... was not... water..." replied the Mayor, sheepishly.

"Ok, thats disgusting!" remarked Alice. "Anybody else think thats disgusting?"

"Well, it is in fact, a clever use of natural resources at hand, and one we might be able to exploit, to ensure we have extracted every quart of information from our humongously repulsive friend!"

"Ogre, little girl's friend?" commented the Ogre, dimly.

"Not quite, dear boy." replied Little Red, before turning to address the crowd.

"Now listen all of you! I have a rather unusual request of you all, but rest assured it _will_ aid us in our investigative quest to possible retrieve your stolen loved ones!"

"Better sing like you were on X-factor, big guy!" whispered Alice into the Ogre's ear, knowing what was to come.

To be continued...


	8. Into The Woods

**Into the woods**

_Deep within the woodland terrain, four heroins continue on their quest._

_Resolute that until all the children are found, not one shall consider to take rest. _

_Till now, of course._

"Ok, don't know about you, but I'm a little on the exhausted side." sighed Alice, pushing and cutting her way through the shimmering green foliage that seemed to get denser the further in they journeyed.

"Yes, I too feel weariness creeping." replied Robin, peering back over her shoulder towards the bushes behind her. Something unseen disturbed her, though she couldn't fathom what.

"'Weariness creeping'?" asked a disbelieving Alice. "You shoot half a dozen arrows at the tail end of 'The Royal Rumble' and think that gives you a shot at 'Wrestlemania'?"

"You're friend, she speaks very... _weird_" commented Robin to Red.

"She's... an 'Outlander'. One of few who have managed to traverse back and forth to and from these lands, by will."

"Outlanders? Impossible. They are bedtime tales, told to... **Aslan's mane!**" gasped Robin. "You are _'the' _Alice? Dethroner of The Red Queen? Slayer of The Jabberwocky?"

"Inmate of The Grimmtale Institute on 42nd street? Yes, I am she!" Alice replied, half believing it herself.

"So, you _are_ real! Hmm... she _still_ has a somewhat _funny_ _tongue, _though! Tell me, how's it be you are able to travel back and forth so?""To be honest, wish I knew." shrugged Alice. "_Really... _wish I knew."

"It would appear you are not the _only_ one." replied Robin. "As it would seem there is a hefty _bounty_ on your head. 'Alive' if that is any consolation?"

"Can't say it is. Who's behind it?" asked Alice, attempting to mask her concern.

"No idea. But it is said 'riches untold' are the promised reward!" replied Robin.

"Ha!" laughed Alice, "They always say 'riches untold' whenever they don't want to tell you how much they're paying you. Which, if they don't want to tell you in the first place, usually means 'not a lot'!"

"Enough!" interjects Red, abruptly. "Let us not lose focus on our mission at hand. There are more _deserving_ matters of our attention."

"Kind of hard to keep focused in a place like this!" responds Alice. "Seems like we've been walking around in circles for several days now!"

"Such are the woes when one is traversing lands as strange as these." remarked Robin. "They don't moniker it 'The Wandering Forest' for nothing!"

"'Moniker'? And _I'm_ the one who talks funny!" sighed Alice. "Go on then, why _do_ they call it 'The Wandering Forest'?"

"Well," explained Robin, rather excitedly. "They say that at night... when all is silent and still... you can almost hear the trees moving around, wandering from place to place, talking with each other. Then morning light returns and all appears normal. But look closer and you will see, the very path that led you in is now no more."

"Nothing but spooky yarns, cooked up by over-bearing mothers and fathers, to scare their younglings from venturing into these parts." dismissed Red. "Using 'fear' as a tool for discipline. Never worked on _me_."

"_To acknowledge fear is to embrace it's hold over you. To ignore it, is to truly belittle it's significance_." quoted Robin, with a smile.

"The way of The Hood, sister." smiled Red back at her.

"Sounds like 5th grade _Shakespeare _to me!" bemoaned an un-convinced Alice, before continuing,

"Ok, so what do we know so far? We know The Piper is going from village to village collecting children, before mercilessly wiping that village out!"

"We also know he may be working alongside The Bookkeeper, a fiend hated by many and well versed in the laws of this land..." added Red.

"'_Laws of this land_?'" asked a puzzled Alice.

"Aye," interjected Robin. "'_Pay what is due, or a forfeit will ensue.'"_

"Nice. Rhymes." commented Alice, completely baffled.

"And let us not forget what 'Shrek' gave mention to seeing-" continued Red.

"Shrek?" asked Alice, clearly amused.

"It's what the villagers called him-_it_... the name apparently means 'fear' or 'terror' or... _something_... anyway, he made a comment about the children being loaded into a giant snake made of wood and stone!"

"Which makes about as much sense as everything else in this place. Wait a minute!" shrieked Alice, coming to a halt. "A giant snake... of wood... and stone...!"

The other three stopped in their tracks, Red leaned slowly towards her. "What is it Alice?"

"Ah, nothing!" shrugged Alice, again walking off. "No wait-YES!" she stopped again. "I think I've got it! I need a map of the forest. Something that could indicate the many paths that run through it!

"Impossible. No such thing exists!" replied Robin.

"Well then I need to get high! Not... _figuratively_ of course. I need to get to the highest point of the forest to look over the rest of the land."

"What about up there?" suggested Robin, pointing ahead to a distant tree, towering monstrously above the surrounding area.

"What do you hope to see?" asked Red.

"A railroad track or... road or... something."

"Not making much sense, Alice. But then you rarely do..." commented Red.

"Just get me to that tree!"

"Easier said than done, Outlander." replied Robin. "It'll be nightfall soon. Could take us anything from a week to a year to make it to that location. They dont call this-"

"The Wandering Forest for nothing, yes, Ive got that." sighed Alice.

"There is someone... " announced Red, with caution. "One who could take us all the way there. One of the best trackers to ever walk any of the four lands. Someone who knows this forest like the bottom of her foot!"

"Hand." giggles Alice. "Back of her hand!'"

The three girls glance at each other, perplexed, then look towards Alice.

"That's the most _ridiculous_ thing Ive ever heard." replied Red. "Why would anybody willingly say such a thing?"

Alice rolled her eyes literally to the back of her head and waved her hand dismissively.

"Woodlanders!" pipped up Robin. "You're referring to a _Woodlander, _aren't you? They are devious people, sister. And _not_ to be trusted."

"We can trust **her!" **replied Red, solemnly. **"**The problem will be getting _her_ to trust **_me!_**

To be continued...


	9. The Woodland Prince

**The Woodland Prince**

"MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!"

The sound of buzzing grew louder as our young quartet and the white wolf made their way hastily through the dense leafage in pursuit of something... unseen.

Actually, no... rather _**they**_ were being pursued by something... unseen.

"WE NEED TO KEEP **_MOVING!_**" commanded Robin, frantically.

"_SOMEBODY_ TELL ME WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE **CHASING** US?" screamed Alice, in frustration.

"I WOULDN'T MIND KNOWING **TOO**, SISTER?" enquired Red.

"THOUGHT I HAD HEARD IT ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE..." explained Robin. "HOPED I WAS WRONG. ALAS, I WAS RIGHT!_ I **hate** being right._ QUICK, THIS WAY!"

They leapt over a large bush and slid down a nearby ridge as the distant sound of buzzing grew louder and louder still.

"THAT STREAM! WE'LL MAKE OUR WAY ACROSS IT! IT _SHOULD_ PROVIDE ME WITH A CLEAR ENOUGH SHOT!" screamed Robin.

"AT **WHAT**?" asked Alice.

But Robin had already made her way across the water, skilfully hoping on the shells of a small family of giant Aquatic Turtles swimming peacefully by. Rapunzel followed close behind her, then Red and her wolf. Lastly Alice arrived, but stopped dead on the edge of the stream, slightly intimidated by the task now asked of her.

"Seriously? Better point me in the direction of a bridge, or _something!_" demanded Alice, arms folded.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the stream, Robin drew her bow and aimed it in Alice's direction. Her arm still, her grip firm, her breathing calm.

"Whoa!" shrieked Alice. "Not a problem. Turtles it is! Certainly no need for-"

"ALICE! **GET DOWN!**" screeched Red.

Alice threw herself on the ground, head tucked firmly in her hands, as Robin released her arrow which whistled through the air like a wailing banshee, just as its target emerged from the bushes behind Alice in all its monstrous glory.

It had a large circular body, the average size of a human head, which was coated in a thick black and yellow blanket of fur. It's large translucent wings, flapping thousands of beats per second. It's large circular eyes, shiny, black and bottomless.

In our lands such a creature would stand classed among the family of the 'bee genus Bombus'. But here this particular monstrosity goes by another name;

"**STINGER**!" screeched Red, just as Robin's arrow struck the monster, pinning it to a nearby tree, the flapping of its wings slowing to an eventual halt.

Alice looked up and slowly turned around. "What... in... the _world_...? Thats not a bumble bee, thats a... flying bowling ball with anger management issues."

"Just a baby. You should see it when it's **_full_** grown." shouted Robin.

"Really I shouldn't!" responded Alice, flatly, making her way over the stream towards them.

"One sting from it and your throat continually swells up like a balloon." added Robin.

"Then?" asked Alice, semi-curious.

"Ever over-inflate a balloon?" responded Robin, cryptically.

"Ok, moving swiftly on!" replied Alice with a slight shiver and turning her attention to Red. "So, this friend of yours... how do we find her?"

"We are very near." replied Red, surveying the area. "The appearance of a Stinger means Geranium Bluebells must by nearby."

"Bluebells. Woodlanders use their pollen for medicinal purposes. Their camps are sure to be nearby too!" confirmed Robin. "I still think this is a bad idea, sister!"

"Duly noted." commented Red, sharply, before silently leading the group onwards.

"Hey, Rapunzel. You ok?" enquired Alice. "Haven't had a word from you since we left the village!"

"Here's two; 'Get' and 'Lost'!" replied Rapunzel, before walking on, leaving an apologetical Robin to explain her abrupt outburst to Alice, as they too follow.

"Rapunzel has, for as long as I've known her... and quite understandably, really... been _incredibly_ attached to... her **_hair!_**"

"Oh!" replied a confused Alice before 'getting it'. "Ohhhh, riiiight...! My bad, I thought she'd be _grateful_ I saved her _life_ instead of her locks?" argued Alice.

"She is. That's why your still alive." replied Robin, flatly.

"Oh, **_that's_** why!" responded Alice, sarcastically. "Aren't you forgetting the whole 'Queen dethroner'... 'Jaber... thingy-killer'... not to mention the odd bridge troll... ogre..."

"You're a gifted warrior, Alice! Of _that_ there is no doubt! But you'll find it may not be-"

"**RED!**"

The cry came from Rapunzel, further up ahead. The fear in her voice was unmistakable, as the other two raced to see the cause of her concern. They arrived to see Red lying on the floor unconscious, her wolf Snowfall growled vigorously, as Rapunzel plucked a small object from her neck and held it up for all three to see.

"A dart?" observed Alice.

"Damn it, Red!" said Robin, drawing her Bow for action as she looked around, before silently collapsing to the ground herself, holding her neck. Leaving Rapunzel standing back to back with Alice, weapons drawn.

"Really _am_ sorry about the hair." offered Alice, still conscience-stricken.

"It'll grow back, quicker than most." replied Rapunzel. "But we'll make a deal; We live through this, I'll return the favour."

"Err... What? Not sure how that-**OW! **Son of a-"

_And with that all four lie motionless on the floor, drifting off into a world of slumber. _

_And when they awake, a fair moment it would take, to comprehend what their eyes will discover._

_"Why... is the world... upside... down?" _groaned Alice, slowly regaining consciousness.

_"It's... not. We... are...!" _replied Red, peering all around her.

And true enough, as all four looked around, they discovered they were indeed hanging upside down by their legs, hundreds of feet up in the air, among the trees.

All around them, special huts of varying sizes made from a variety of wood types, sat integrated seamlessly into the surrounded trees as a mist hovered all about them.

And in front of them, stood a young slim man, dressed in earthy shades of green. A long black mane of hair draped itself down to the lower part of his back. An air of royalty circled about him.

He leaned forward, resting his hands firmly on the bamboo railing that supported the structure of the bridge on which he was standing and addressed them. Oddly.

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, my pretty-pretty-pretties!" he said.

"Is this guy gonna say _everything_ three times-times-times?" asked Alice, typically.

"Prince Leafersome!" spoke Alice. "We only seek safe passage through these lands."

"In 'these lands'... what one seeks and what one finds are seldom the same, Little Hood." replied the prince,

"Didn't say _that_ twice!" noted Rapunzel quietly to Alice.

"There is a girl..." began Red. "One of your own. We... need her _unrivalled_ skill as a tracker, to lead us to the tree that lies in the centre of the woods."

The prince turned to glance at the 'tree' in question. Then laughed a hearty laugh.

"That is not a tree, you... 'forest-squatter'... And as for the one of whom you speak, it is **_she_** who brought you here before me!" he replied, before glancing casually towards the distance behind them. "Ah. _Talk of the 'rebel' and she shall appear!_ I will leave you both to get re-aquanted. For now."

And with that, he curtseyed and disappeared down a side rope, out of sight.

"I told you what I would do if I ever saw you again!" came the soft but affirmed voice behind them. The girls all turned their heads.

"Ladies..." began Red. "Allow me to... _introduce_ you... to Pocahontas."

To be continued...


	10. Dirty Little Secrets

**Dirty Little Secrets**

There she stood.

Earthy, lithe, with an air mischievous authority about her. There she stood. Her boots, a dusky suede colorisation, strapped from knee to toe in brown leather strips. A skirt to match, sandy brown suede with leather tassels. Ditto for the matching belly top and arm bands. Various shades of green paint mapped out lines symmetry on both her arms and face, punctuated by a neat adornment of brightly coloured feathers tucked neatly into the back of her hair. Her big brown eyes, bursted with wonder and adventure.

There she stood. And everything about her exuded a certain innocence. A _vulnerability_.

Everything that is, but her _**mouth!**_

"You got balls like an overgrown cactus in mid-season, showing your face around here, Red!" she said.

"There are... _so_ many things wrong with that sentence, I don't even know _where_ to begin!" replied Alice.

"Look, Tass, if you would just listen to what I have to say, I could explain why-"

"I'd sooner have my eyeballs catapulted halfway across The Molten Sea, than hear but one utterance of a word from _your_ deceitful tongue!" replied the girl, abruptly.

All four go silent, as Red looked away in frustration.

"I'm sorry," apologised Alice. "But someone explain again to me how 'angry bird' over there is supposed to be the one who can help us?"

"Your friend, Red, she brings new meaning to the word 'irritable'. You should advise her immediate silence!" offered the girl.

"Alas, but one of her _many_ skills." added Robin.

"Destroying in **seconds** what one has spent _years_ of her life **growing**, being _another_!" mumbled Rapunzel

"Oh will you all just stop? You're making me blush!" quipped Alice.

"All of you be silent!" warned Red, before softening her tone. "Tas, I have since learned that all may not have been what it _seemed_ back when-"

"Save it, wolf-slayer! First learn the value of life itself before daring to speak on its merits!" replied the girl, furiously.

Just then a loud horn is sounded in the distance, the girl glanced up. Her expresion one of bitterness.

"I've a matter to attend." And with that the forest girl turned to make her exit.

"Before you go... is it possible you could let us down... please?" pleaded Alice. "I _really_ need to go to the bathroom... and hanging upside down's just making it worse! Plus it _could_ get a little... _disgusting_...?!"

"Alice, now _really_ isn't the time." remarked Robin.

"Alice?" The forest girl stopped in her tracks, her wide eyes narrowed. "Alice of Wonderland! The Outlander... Interesting. I thought you would be... fatter?"

"Thats it!" cried Alice. "Somebody cut me down from here so I can-"

"You will all hang there until your eyeballs swell and your heads explode." interrupted the girl. "Maybe then you'll think twice about trespassing in our lands!"

And with that she is gone, disappeared down one of many dangling ropes to an adjacent platform underneath.

"But how can we 'think twice' if our heads explode?." shouted out Alice, after her. "Again, they say _I _talk funny"

"You are not helping matters." noted Red, grumpily.

"_I'm not helping matters?_ Just what exactly did _you_ do to make 'Tarzana' there so _fond_ of you in the _first_ place?" asked Alice.

Little Red paused for a moment. As if not quite sure of the answer herself. Then... slowly and painfully... she remembered.

"Long ago, at the time of year when the snow falls at its hardest... when I was aged 8... I had an older brother called Aesop. Mischievous in nature, he always loved to pull pranks on the people of our village.

Early every morning he'd offer to assist the elders in tending to the towns sheep situated at the back of the village, overlooking the forest.

One morning in particular, we were all woken by a loud scream. It was my brother warning us that a wolf was attacking the sheep. When the elders and concerned parents, including our own, rushed to his aid, they found Aesop giggling to himself hysterically on the floor. A few saw the funny side, though most did not."

"Sounds like a... _fun_ kinda guy." remarked Alice.

"Sounds like a jerk!" countered Rapunzel

"Never one to _not_ bleed a joke dry, he decided to do it a 2nd time. Then a third. Then a fourth... By the time he'd cried wolf for the 5th time and final time, nobody listened. Nobody came. Nobody cared.

"So far, so depressing. But what's it got to do with ole 'grumpy-feathers'?" asked Alice.

"Aesop called out no more, because... because Aesop was... _dead!_ You see, a wolf _did_ come that morning. And not just one... but an entire pack. Ash Wolves... larger than most in size, and normally extremely passive in nature, attacking only when provoked. It was a slaughter! Savage, brutal, merciless... And when they had finally left... very few of my people... were..." her voice trailed off into silence as the other three looked on.

"That... really sucks, Red. I'm sorry." sympathised Alice.

"That night, I cried until my eyes were as red as the blood that soaked the streets of my town. And when there were no more tears left, I... crept out in search of those responsible. Foolish, I know. Especially for an 8 year old child with nothing but her rage for a companion, but I didnt care."

"And thats when you met '_running tap-water_'?" deduced Alice.

"She was not much older than I, but so _so_ much wiser. She found me wrapped in a red hooded cloak, clutching a large bundle of lambs-cloth. Or so I had told her. Anything to trick her into assisting me with my quest. She nicknamed me 'Red' and agreed to help with my search.

It took her mere days what it would have taken me several months to achieve. And before long we had arrived at the cave where The Ash Wolves dwelt. We found them... peacefully asleep... having had their full."

"And... _then... _what did you do?" asked Robin, almost unwillingly.

"Then, I opened the large bundle of cloth and took out my fathers oversized butcher cleaver, sharpened to a quarter of a hair's width... and _slaughtered_... every - last - one of them!"

The collective silence between the other three spoke volumes as to their horror to what they have heard. Red in response, turned her head in deep shame.

"Ever since, shame and guilt have replaced rage as my silent companions. Following me everywhere. Reminding me daily of what I have done. Woodlanders are lovers of all animals, both wild and tamed. But that night... that night I was much less than either."

"**No!**" exclaimed Alice, immediately. "You did what _any_ _other_... _err_... 8 year old with a... well, meat cleaver would have... _ahh_... yeah, that _**was**_ pretty messed up, sorry!"

"Alice!" scorned Robin. "And what of the Woodland girl, Red?"

"Pocahontas? She left me there stranded, deep in the woods, to die. A fitting punishment for my deception. I barely survived. Found and taken in by the SisterHood, I never saw her again, but tales of her great skill as a tracker extraordinaire and '_defender of lives_' notoriously spread throughout my childhood. Even as my own reputation as an '_ender of lives_' would also!"

"Ok, so lets go back to the part where you came here to ask her for help! Because going by that little tale a juvenile trauma, **_it was one crazy-ass plan!_**" screamed Alice.

"It _was_ foolhardy." agreed Robin.

"I figured... I always wondered why such a passive pack of animals would attack my village in such a violent and unprovoked manor... what drove them to do it... ? It never quite made sense-"

"The Piper!" deduced Alice, cleverly.

"The Piper?" echoed Robin, somewhat skeptically. "You... _really_ think _he_ was responsible? All those many years ago?"

"Perhaps... perhaps it is just me, clinging onto a desperate hope long lost. So I don't have to face the awful truth about myself... of what I am."

"Alas, sister, this entire quest for you is one of redemption." offered Robin.

"In some way, is it not so for all of us?" offered Rapunzel sombrely.

"Wait a minute!" pondered Alice. "Speaking of four legged hounds, where's that dog of yours?"

"Wolf!" sighed Red, wearily. "And my guess, she is... in a _better_ place."

As the other three dwell on the meaning of Red's words, elsewhere in the tree village on a large suspended platform, the Woodland Prince prepared himself and a small group of his people to attend a peace treaty between The Woodlanders and another yet undisclosed tribe of forest dwellers. Amongst his number stood his chief tracker, Pocahontas, wearing an uncommon frown of concern.

"Sire, should we not take more fighters with us? You know how treacherous their queen can be?"

"Why, why, why, pretty young pretty, bring more fighters to a talk of **_peace?_** Better sure to bring more _talkers_ instead, no?" replied the Prince.

"But in the past, sire, their queen has-"

"The past is not the present and the present is _surely_ not the future, though all are connected each remains distinct. Let us choose wisely in _which_, we would cast the shadow of _our_ lives!" he replied, even more cryptically.

"Yes sire." she conceded, before looking up and signalling, waving a piece of white cloth in her hands towards the sky above.

Before long, a rope ladder is lowered towards them, and one by one, led by the young prince and Pocahontas, they began their climb upwards, stepping into a small airship made from compressed strips of honey-bamboo, suspended by a large heated balloon.

Then slowly, the ship carrying the 30-strong tribe, made it's way towards the deeper parts of the forest.

"We should of at least taken the 'stingers', sire?" warned Pocahontas, one final time. "If Queen Olive were well enough, she'd-"

"But my dear mother _isn't_ well is she, Little Tracker?" sighed the Prince. "Hence why I have been left to tend to these benign matters of politics, by continuing her frequent little talks with her estranged sister.

Without them she fears the simmering war between their tribes will reach boiling point, spilling over into this very forest, turning all that is green and natural, red with the subsequent blood that would surely be spilt!

Isn't family life unnecessarily _awkward_ at times?"

To be continued...


	11. Exile to War

**Exile to War**

There's a feeling she gets, this 'Pocahontas'... sort of a 'sixth sense' type of feeling.

It's what she uses to great effect in reading tracks, body language, situations... danger... like now. Something about the situation doesn't seem... quite right. Even as she stands there on the deck of the WoodLand SKyship, amongst her own very people. Something doesnt fit.

"Lower the ropes!" Yelled the ship's captain as the airship drew to a halt.

And there it hovered over a small shallow stream invaded by large slabs of granite rock obstructing its steady flow. The surrounding area itself, wallpapered by rocky crevasses that hinted at hidden secret pathways into the small mountains that stood behind them. And all around, hidden within the darkness, eyes glared unflinchingly towards them.

"At least allow me to go _with_ you sire?" offered Pocahontas, a final time, as she peered over the side of the ship. "I promised your mother I would-"

"You are most loyal to our Queen, aren't you tracker?" asked the Prince.

"She has... shown me kindness beyond cause, sire. Tis the very least I can offer her."

"Yes. Yes I suppose it is." conceded the Prince. "But, you shall remain here whilst I go down. If all is well I shall come out and drop my red handkerchief on the ground. If it is not... well... I suspect I shall not come out at all!"

"We... will be ready, sire." replied Pocahontas. "Be well."

And with that the young Prince and four of his trusted guards abseiled down towards the rocky ground below to make their way into the entrance to the main cave, whilst Pocahontas watched attentively, bow and arrow in hand. Sensing that she _herself_ was being watched by the rest of the ships crew.

Meanwhile, inside the dark and dingy caves, the Prince and his men continued on their way along the dark and narrow path that led towards a light in the distance. The sound of dripping water echoed continuously all around them, a peculiar damp stench circled in the air, and, embedded within the very darkness... eyes... hundreds of eyes... large shiny eyes... stared at them, blinking in unison. Hungry eyes.

At the entrance to the large hall, revealed to be the throne room of Queen Arachnia, stood a tall spindly man, tattooed head to toe in web-like markings, holding an iron spear. He raised his hand and halted the prince in his steps as he inspected him and his men.

"Remove!" he grunted at them abruptly, referring to their weapons. When they had done so, he bowed and stepped to one side beckoning them past.

"Queen Arachnia, I present to you the honourable Prince Leafersome of the WoodLand clan." he announced.

"Let him enter." spoke a soft but husky voice.

Inside the large circular stone hall that was tinged with shades of yellow from the various wall-mounted torches. Drapes of webbing hung from the ceiling. And seated in the very centre of the stone spiralled floor, mounted atop of a gigantic spider as if it were a camel in a desert, sat _The Arachnid Queen_ herself.

"Greetings sincere, fair Queen." bowed the young Prince.

"Greetings sincere, young nephew." smiled the Queen.

Her pale face, partially visible through the thick tresses of black hair. Its shape, long, regal and stern. Her full-bodied gown, stitched together in green and black web embroiled patterns. There was a gentleness about her, but a deeper darkness lurked far beneath it.

"How fares your mother? Her illness persist, I do believe." said the Queen with a wryly smile.

"She... gathers her strength from day to day... and forwards her apologies, once again." responded the Prince with a bow.

"Never quite understood her need for these little meetings." pondered the Queen. "Especially as it was she who initiated my exile in the first place, along with all those sworn previous to be loyal to me?"

"Guilt, perhaps?" offered the Prince. "But to be fair, initial evidence **_had_** pointed to _you_ being the one who _poisoned_ her."

"To be fair?" laughed the Queen. "Surely 'fairness' would have demanded a trial of some sort?"

"'Death' was demanded of you, oh Queen, as is the way of our people in such circumstances... your 'exile' was surely a sign of... your sister's mercy?"

"Mercy." smiled the Queen, as she dwelt on the connotations of the word, before waving such thoughts aside. "Come, I grow tired of this topic. Your move, I believe." she smiled, emptily.

The Prince wandered off to the side of the hall where a small peculiar looking man stood, next to a small round table made of stone. On the table's surface, a black and white chequered pattern spiralled inwards towards the centre and standing amongst the chequered squares stood half a dozen warrior shaped pieces carved from wood. Half were painted green, the other half painted black.

"Green Runner 4, 3 paces." shouted the Prince.

The peculiar-looking man responded by moving the designated piece the requested amount of paces along the spiralled surface.

"An interesting choice of direction, exposing your envoy to the mercies of your enemy." noted the Queen. "Black Queen, 4 paces back."

"Perhaps... perhaps my man would seek safe refuge for a price too valuable to resist? Green Horseman, forward 2 paces."

"And what would... mark such a price? Black Runner, 1 pace forward."

"A share in the kingdom... a chance to rule... traded for total allegiance to the stronger ️Queen? ...Perhaps?" suggested the Prince.

"I see... so... you **_have_** thought about my offer?" asked the Queen, eyebrow raised.

"To join The Alliance of the Four Winds? March against the army of The Glass-slippered Queen?"

"...and onto an assured victory." added the Queen. "Black Queen 7 paces forward. I win-Finally!" she smiled.

"Yes my Queen, you do." responded the Prince as he bowed, yet again.

"'_You're _Queen_'_." she responded as she slowly leant forward. "And what of _your_ mother?"

"Her kindness... has made her weak. Her weakness has made her vulnerable. Her vulnerability has made her unfit to lead our people." he replied.

"And _your_ strength, young nephew, has made you the **_perfect_** replacement!"

"When... does it begin, my Queen?" enquired the young Prince.

"It already has!" announced a voice from the shadows.

The young Prince turned to see a figure, shrouded in a long scarlet red cloak, spring forward from the darkness, accompanied by a man, tall and thin, thick curly black hair, dressed in black royal garments with a black eye patch over one eye, shaped like an ace of spades.

"And soon the four lands will weep at my return as they serve under my reign...!"

"**_Our_** reign!" hissed Queen Arachnia.

"But of course, fair Queen." replied the mysterious red-cloaked figure. "But of course."

To be continued...


End file.
